Comments on: Microsoft limits Vista transfers

Retail buyers of the OS will only be able to legally transfer the software once. After that, it's back to the store to buy a new copy.

[fred dunn]

Time to start looking for a good Linux Build...

Anybody know of a good Linux build for the desktop yet? I have good things about Ubuntu, anybody have a favorite?
Is there a decent emulator to run legacy Windows Programs since I don't plan on buying any programs "designed for Vista".

[eBob1]

Ubuntu

I use Ubuntu on my personal laptop. The laptop is set up for dual boot with Windows XP Home. I can count on one hand the number of times I have booted it into Windows. If you are more comfortable with the way the Windows XP desktop is arranged, you might want to try Kubuntu instead. Kubuntu defaults to KDE, which seems (to me at least) to be more Windows-like than Gnome. The installation was super-easy and it was pretty much ready to go after the install. As far as emulators go, there is Wine (which I don't have any experience using) or you can install VMWare player and set up a virtual machine with Windows.

[KevinK]

Ubuntu Linux

I have been running Ubuntu Linux 64 bit for about a month now, it is stable, fast, and unlike earlier versions of Linux pretty intuitive. My machine is set up to triple boot Ubuntu64, WinXP, and Freedos. No problems so far.

Installing Wine is tricky with 64 bit linux, but is possible and works well once successfully installed. Wine currently runs iTunes, Office XP and 2003, LTspice/SwitcherCad3, winamp, and a whole lot of other common windoz applications. Installation of Wine in 32 bit Linux should be a breeze. I'm pretty new to this, but I am convinced that the time to jump ship has arrived and I am working on it well in advance of when I will actually do it.

[qwerty75]

opensuse

OpenSuse is the best distro on right now. It is simple and has more packages then any distro today.

Ubuntu has potential but is not even close to suse right now. That may change, but there are too many quirks and issues that would deter a linux newbie.

[fred dunn]

Thanks For the Info. I'm going to build one...

And I will try all of your suggestions so that I don't have to install Vi$ta.
I think this is going to be the biggest boon to Linux at the desktop ever.
One more question, Is there a desktop linux build that I can buy support for, ie: updates, patches, etc that is of enterprise quality?

[furball123A]

Vista...

As a beta tester for Vista...I can tell you this about it. Running an Intel 3.0 GB processor on an ABit board with 2 GB of memory with SATA & IDE drives...this "limitation" in the Vista licensing has shown me that this VERY slow-running OS on my machine...will have me sticking with 2000/XP. Both of the latter fly with none of the compatibilities issues I've run across with several pieces of software I need to run.

With me doing upgrades at least once every two years & running VMware...could afford several Macs or commercial Linux licenses for what Vista would cost me.

[KevinK]

Wine is not an emulator

"Wine is not an emulator" see the wine home page for what this actually means, this is a direct quote from the site:

"Wine is an Open Source implementation of the Windows API on top of X and Unix. Think of Wine as a compatibility layer for running Windows programs. Wine does not require Microsoft Windows, as it is a completely free alternative implementation of the Windows API consisting of 100% non-Microsoft code, however Wine can optionally use native Windows DLLs if they are available."

See http://www.winehq.com/

[City_Of_LA]

If I can just find a gaming alternative for the PC

I'll be more than happy to send MS a load of abuse and rid my hard drive of XP for good. As I already said, there's NO WAY in hell I'm buying Vista. I upgrade my PC once every 6-8 months and don't feel like knocking heads with the two bob ***** at a MS call centre because of something I PAID for.

I'm making it my duty now to convince people that only use PC's for mail and word processing, to go the Apple Route.

[qwerty75]

Depends on the game

There is an incredible amount of PC games that can run very well in Linux. Check out Wine and cedega.

The game I play most is World of Warcraft and not only does it run flawlessly, but it runs just as well on my dual boot machine in linux as it does in windows. In fact, my latency is always better and occassionally get frame rates I can't get on windows.

DirectX support is not quite there yet in wine, but if the game also supports mac it can usually run perfectly in linux. If it is a DX only game it can still usually be run in Linux.

[ozidigga]

I hate M$

www.microsuck.com

[Sumatra-Bosch]

A Sign of the End

All of this, the licensing scheme, the desperate grab at game machines, search, online services and music players is the sign of a company at the end of its rope.

With multicore processors, ordinary people will increasingly experience machines booting multiple OSes the way a CD player will mount any Redbook compliant disc.

The manufacturers of PCs early on embraced MS DOS as a cheapie alternative and hung with it through increasingly onerous licensing schemes. Now, the PC manufacturers are enraged that MS ends up with most of the profit in the PC.

Post-anti-trust trial, it will be difficult for MS to try to force the PC manufacturers to exclude alternative OSes.

Ten years ago, no way you could ship a desktop that couldn't run MS applications and be relevant. Today, with a lot of the corporation's most important applications running in a browser, the OS is completely beside the point. In fact, in a lot of situations you could argue it's a distraction; better to have a super-stable version of *nix on the desktop and a secure browser to run Web-serviced apps.

MS' attorneys can jump up and down and fantasize about all kinds of onerous licensing schemes and impress their bosses playing with the financial models of what it would do for revenue but they're all the vaporings of a tired company without a clue or a direction.

MS will find every marketspace they've venturing into now is all about hard work and low margins except maybe search, a space that is more competitive than you'd imagine once you get outside of the US, where local favorites have gotten a foothold before Google appeared.

These are not conditions amenable to incompetent spoiled brats, even ones with an OS franchise. The money in that space has already begun drying up. XP will remain good enough for most corporate applications for another 10 years.

[scennimo]

Not Fair or Smart

For someone like myself, I am upgrading to new computers all the time. I have built 4 to 5 PC's in one year. This will not work for me. I can see putting a cap on it, but one move. Not realistic for us techies. The thing is, If I end up with only 1 PC, why should I have to buy another copy to get that PC up and running when I already bought the operating system. Makes no sense.

[bw94382]

Actually, CNET and Readers are Correct

Paul Thurott's (whoever he is) Supersite for Windows simply re-iterates the same points regarding the Vista EULA. The only point on which they disagree is whether Microsoft *intended* these terms to apply to previous versions of Windows, which is completely irrelevant IMO.

[thedreaming]

WGA

If Microsoft would fix the bugs in their WGA software, they wouldn't get so many false positives and yes, I've seen it with my own eyes. A store bought Dell with that WGA Notification on it! The owner was pissed!

[fred dunn]

A Good Alternative to Vista after XP, SLED

I'm not a Linux fan and have been a windows person since windows 3.1 and DOS before that but MS has converted me to anything other than Vista with their "Big Brother" tactics and excessive resource requirements.
I intend to stay with XP as long as I can but in the meantime I am building a system to try SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop (SLED).
From the review I've read it looks too much like XP for most Linux fans but that's OK by me and there are Windows program emulators available.
Check the review:
http://www.desktoplinux.com/news/NS3179571720.html

[pentium4forever]

Gee, bad move by Microsoft!

Golly, this is a bad move by Microsoft. I hope this doesn't effect ghosting drives and working with Ghost or Acronis TrueImage and other related software. This could prevent some power users from using Vista. Average home users won't notice or care but the real computer gurus aren't going to be happy.

[kwilsonjr]

Was Going To Buy...Getting Cracked Copy Instead

I had fully intended buying the Premium Vista but since reading the CNET article, I've decided to just wait for the hacked and cracked version so I won't have to deal with Microsofts foolishness.

[Ann Ray]

Not necessarily hysteria

I've had the oh-so-fun experience of talking to the activation people for Windows XP, and it doesn't have this restriction. The third activation on my laptop (new out of box, fdisk due to flakiness, and fdisk when I gave it to Mom) the wizard claimed I had a bad key and made me phone in. When I called, they asked a bunch of questions, as if I'd tell the truth if I were pirating it??

MS needs to stop treating honest folks like criminals. It does nothing to dissuade the pirates, and just makes life unpleasant for the rest of us.

[Microsoft_Facts]

MS EULA breaks the law?

I think it does. At the very least it does nothing to stop piracy, only adds to the costs of legitimate users. I rebuild as many as 6 Microsoft infected PCs a week. Doing them legitimately adds time talking to the non-English code keepers getting permission to use a product that was paid for, I find it much more cost effective to just use an XP Corp disk and flip off the uneeded (unlawful too?) BS required by MS for those trying to do things the right way. But in the end, I actually hope MS keeps right on going the way they are. It only helps to encourage my clients as I push to migrate them to alternative, safer, more compatible platforms.

[Albertv]

Microsoft presumption knows no bounds

Microsoft presumption of supriority is it's achillies heel. There are huge opportunities to put this bemouth out to pasture. Let the good times role. Linux and Apple are making accellerated inroads. Thus like others I say, "Go Microsoft!".

[zackinma]

same here

i am doing the same. i was going to buy ultimate version of vista, but i rebuild my pc every 6 months. no way i am buying a new os every year, so i'll just crack it instead.

way to go microsoft. your bad business is costing you money, not making you money.

[lenn5]

Just another reason to get a Mac!

Goodbye MS Wondows! Here i come Apple Macintosh!

l

[lenn5]

Just another reason to get a Mac!

Goodbye MS Wondows! Here i come Apple Macintosh!

l

[piggyshark]

FUD Herd Mentality

I just like it so much whenever the MAC Zealots and Linux Storm Bloopers decide to pile it on against MS. It really makes for humorous amusement. Reality is Windows software is still going to continue to dominate Market Share same time next year and so and so forth. Why? Whenever Joe IneverreadCnetThreads gets a new PC will have it when he buys his next PC. Honestly, I believe the 80%, or is it 84%, of the Market that uses Windows XP could care less. You make it sound like it is life and death for the consumer when infact it isn't. Another reason is Big Business loves Microsoft and vice versa. Do I overstate myself here. Forget the BS and look at the numbers of how entrenched there sytems are in those companies. Market Share = Reality.

You don't like MS Software, so you say buy a MAC or get Linux. Just to break the FUD Herd Mentality, I recommend you try FreeBSD because MACs are just a rip and Linux has identity problems.

[pghwill]

I hear you!

Id ditch Microsoft for a MAC OS X anyday! Video editing is super fast, and this was not even an INTEL chip the old POWERPC chip! UNIX Derived OS's are always super fast and more stable then MicroJUNK!

[jasonemanuelson1]

What a joke

Legally purchase software and be stuck bound to this? What
happens if component failure forces a user to have to replace
one or more parts of a machine? What happens if one wants to
upgrade? Well, according to Microsoft, you can only do one of
the two. The reason Windows is pirated is because of crap like
this. They make it so much of a pain in the butt to work with
them that people find any way possible to avoid dealing with
them at all.

This type of sales entrapment should be illegal. I don't mind
purchasing licenses of software for each and every machine, but
this type of attitude just makes me sick.

[imacpwr]

What constitutes a new computer..???

Ok if I have 2 completely different computers sitting side-by-
side it's clear what moving to a new computer means but what if
I do some hardware upgrades to my one and only computer?
Have I created a "new computer" by adding more ram..? How
about if I swap the graphic card or maybe my hard drive died
and I had to replace it, can I then reinstall the OS? Or maybe I do
a collection of upgrades i.e. graphic card, sound card, ram, cd/
dvd drive. It's still basically my original computer but with a few
upgraded peripherals, so does M$ now want to rip me off and
force me to purchase ANOTHER copy of an OS which I firmly
belive I already paid for once..! Let's take it all the way, I replace
everything inside my computer case except for the case itself.
When you look at my computer it STILL looks like my original
computer..! Should I be scared if I replace ONLY the case
because now if the M$ software police saw my computer they'd
say: "HEY, that's a NEW COMPUTER..!!! GIVE US MORE MONEY
YOU SOFTWARE PIRATE..!!!" but, but, but, but... I PAID FOR THIS
OS ALREADY..!!!!!!
I loved my Window's powered PC's the last 10 years but WOW am
I TOTALLY OVERJOYED that I dumped the PC's switch to a Mac
this year.